The Rangers V Motherwell Spfl Playoff Final 28/05/15

[stv]

I don't see anyway we can come out of this tie still being a premier league club. Its a very sad state of affairs but not much we can do about it. Anyone who goes to Ibrox on Thursday has my respect but i'm happy i'll be in work that day because it will be a dark day in the history of our great football club. You can fuckin guarantee Nicky Law will have the game of his life against our midfield and with McManus in defence along with Long in goals we will concede at least 3 goals against this shower.McDonald and Erwin will get chances against them but i still can't see it being enough to stop the inevitable sevco victory. I really hope that between now and the summer Hutchison realises that Baraclough is a joke of a manager and puts someone in charge who will give us a fighting chance in the championship next season although I'm 100% confident that won't happen.A thourghly depressing time to be a Well fan.

You just have to have a wee snigger, eh ?

[steelman1991]

Me neither, walked straight past them.

 

So did I - the term used was meant to be tongue in cheek. But I assume some of the support that arrived at the stadium under heavy police escort, returned the same way.

[jamesc]

Some rangers fans( granted...from rangers media forum) creaming themselves because of erwins muted celebration, and applauding the ibrox main stand when getting subbed. They reckon on that evidence he is a cert to sign with them in the summer. Their patter is brilliant!

[steelman1991]

Everyone's a bluenose - didn't you know that - they even had a discussion on RM to confirm whether Keith and Stevie Hammell were 'berz'. They are a team and club that just like to be loved.

 

Though having said that his celebration was rather tame.

[superwell87]

What a bunch of fannies! They'll believe anything they tell themselves.

[madscot]

Some rangers fans( granted...from rangers media forum) creaming themselves because of erwins muted celebration, and applauding the ibrox main stand when getting subbed. They reckon on that evidence he is a cert to sign with them in the summer. Their patter is brilliant!

He is a gers fan

[Yassin]

Get shot of Erwin right now then. Can't be having our players applauding vaguely in the other fans' direction.

[Big Wispy Flossy]

He is a gers fan

So are hammell and lasley not that it matters much

[jamesc]

He is a gers fan

Didn't say he wasn't

[Andy_P]

[Brazilian]

One of the biggest? / greatest?  / most memorable? Nights in our clubs history 

was a little surprised at the general lack of chat around the anniversary date, given , the buzz around some other memorable occasions raised during the lockdown period

maybe the restricted crowd means it’s just not as prominent a memory for many , but it was probably they most important Match/result in the last 39years

Were you there? Does it rate in your top three games

Or were you following on via some sort of  media coverage  , nervously? Confidently? Bouncing of the ceiling?

Or had you lost the faith and sacked the notion of a result at Ibrox whilst distracting yourself elsewhere ( maybe having a wee check in on things) 

ir just general thoughts back to that game

[Toxteth O'Grady]

I have never been so nervous before a football match as I was that night.

[Spiderpig]

I have never been to either of the ugly sisters grounds for a very long time, and that night was no exception,  tbh I feared the worst given our record against Rangers, but at work surrounded by them and giving them pelters when the scores came in was very satisfying.  

We really slapped them down over those 2 games and reminded them how bad they really were at that point.

[ropy]

I had no way of getting to Fir Park to get a ticket, they weren’t taking orders over the phone as the numbers outside were already more than the available tickets.  Then I discovered that because out of convenience I had handed in my form for the following year’s season ticket at one of the last home games this meant that I qualified for an Ibrox ticket.

I think the ticket was posted to me, I then got a phone call the following week saying that I had not signed the cheque for the season ticket, so I was there under false pretences.

[The African]

It was a couple of games to avoid relegation. Why would we want to celebrate what was the end of a very forgettable season! Yes, it was great to stick it up the shitty reincarnation of the vile entity that is Glasgow Rangers but it was very much of the moment. It isn't as if we won something and to celebrate it with anything more than a wistful smile and a knowing nod is only going to compound the embarrassment of actually finding ourselves in that position in the first place.

[ropy]

If our recent cup finals have seen delight at the journey and disappointment at the outcome, this was the exact opposite.  The second leg had a cup final atmosphere and we had many returners turning up at Fir Park, a great few days.

The goal they scored at Ibrox gave them hope and kept us on our toes.

[Kmcalpin]

My overwhelming emotion was one of relief. I wouldn't want to go through that again.

[David]

2 hours ago, The African said:

It was a couple of games to avoid relegation. Why would we want to celebrate what was the end of a very forgettable season! Yes, it was great to stick it up the shitty reincarnation of the vile entity that is Glasgow Rangers but it was very much of the moment. It isn't as if we won something and to celebrate it with anything more than a wistful smile and a knowing nod is only going to compound the embarrassment of actually finding ourselves in that position in the first place.

I recall the claims that this was going to be payback for our part in sending them down to the bottom rung of Scottish football. Their fans were so fucking sure they were "back" and that they'd get to send us down in the process was just icing on their shit cake.

I was hoping that we'd maybe win the tie by the odd goal in a few competitive games, but we didn't. We absolutely destroyed them. It's the kind of performances that will long be looked back on with joy, and rightfully so. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't dreamed as a kid of being part of a Motherwell team that did that to a Rangers or Celtic team.

The sheer arrogance of the media in Scotland writing us off as an afterthought, as they all eagerly looked forward to the return of the "old firm," only for us to completely fuck it up for them was amazing.

So yeah, it's far more than a couple of games to avoid relegation. Context is very much key in this situation in my opinion.

[weeyin]

2 hours ago, Kmcalpin said:

My overwhelming emotion was one of relief. I wouldn't want to go through that again.

Same here. As enjoyable as it was to stuff them (twice), it was more a case of relief considering the high stakes for a club our size.

The other thing that stood out for me, however, was how perfectly Baraclough handled the preparation. He struck the perfect balance of positivity and playing the underdog and was the opposite of just about every other 'Well manager in his attitude when it comes to playing an OF side.

It definitely helped that we had guys like McManus, Pearson and Skippy in the the team who had experience of going to Ibrox with a winning mentality.

[MelvinBragg]

As a football fan, particularly a fan of a relatively small club, the joy in football is to be found in moments, or single games. This was to avoid relegation, sure. But does that mean I celebrated the moment any less? Nope. If anything, it's more important than a semi final win. It truly is a case of how your club will look going forward? Have a look at Dunfermline, Partick Thistle or Raith Rovers for evidence of that. 

I also agree that Barraclough was a big factor. Coming with no knowledge of Scottish football (remember his tongue in cheek comments about aiming to win the league) meant he seemed to go into the game without the preconceived notions of how this should go . Definitely didn't pay any heed to the 'back where we belong' chat from the Rangers minded side of the media. 

Van Der Gaag vs Dunfermline, Moult vs Accoes, the 2-1 vs Falkirk. Moments of relief, but also moments of joy. We don't get millions of those as Motherwell fans. It's alright to look back on them and smile...

[Andy_P]

3 hours ago, The African said:

It was a couple of games to avoid relegation. Why would we want to celebrate what was the end of a very forgettable season! Yes, it was great to stick it up the shitty reincarnation of the vile entity that is Glasgow Rangers but it was very much of the moment. It isn't as if we won something and to celebrate it with anything more than a wistful smile and a knowing nod is only going to compound the embarrassment of actually finding ourselves in that position in the first place.

I must admit I find it difficult to look back on that evening with as detached a manner as you have in your summary. Just thinking of that night gets my heart racing and that's before considering the potential repercussions for the very future of the club had we not retained our top flight status.

It was an absorbing breathless night.  The club's stance over the ticket allocation set a dogged tone that everybody ran with.  Don't get me wrong the fear was palpable but there was a quiet determination.  And the more the likes of Keevans dismissed our chances the greater that resolve grew.

By the time we got out of Ibrox my legs were cut to ribbons with the celebrations, my face could have blended in with a Hearts top and my voice hoarse.  Incomprehensible texts were going back and forward to family and friends unable to be there.  The wave of relief and perhaps a degree of disbelief of what had happened.

And yet a nagging doubt lingered.  Ainsworth's chance to make it four and then them subsequently getting a goal back.  They get the first goal back at Fir Park and it's all different. Suddenly they have the momentum and it becomes a different test of character.  The next few days would be spent reminding myself of what we had done at Ibrox when they had tried to dominate us and of our ability to hit them on the break.  It was still a long wait until Sunday.

But that night.  No, that'll live long in the memory.  The game, the whole context.  That's always going to be one I'll savour.

 

[ropy]

4 hours ago, The African said:

It was a couple of games to avoid relegation. Why would we want to celebrate what was the end of a very forgettable season! Yes, it was great to stick it up the shitty reincarnation of the vile entity that is Glasgow Rangers but it was very much of the moment. It isn't as if we won something and to celebrate it with anything more than a wistful smile and a knowing nod is only going to compound the embarrassment of actually finding ourselves in that position in the first place.

Maybe you had to be there

Edit : in fact I remember the difference in attitude in 2008 between those that had experienced the adventure in Nancy and those who were just at a defeat in the second leg at Fir Park, one lot enthralled by the overall experience and one lot disappointed with a quick exit.

[MelvinBragg]

28 minutes ago, ropy said:

Maybe you had to be there

Edit : in fact I remember the difference in attitude in 2008 between those that had experienced the adventure in Nancy and those who were just at a defeat in the second leg at Fir Park, one lot enthralled by the overall experience and one lot disappointed with a quick exit.

I watched the game at Ibrox on the big screen in Jack Daniels. Strangely I remember being calm until we scored. Then it felt as if we had something to lose. Which is ridiculous because we clearly had loads to lose if we were relegated. 

I also remember me and Frazzle saying right after full time that night that we'd give a kidney for the first goal on the Sunday...

[C&A not the shop]

Aye being a football fan is about moments, and the moment of full time at Ibrox was amazing even watching from a pub in town.

That weird feeling of being elated but also nervous that we could throw it all away.

When the first goal went in at Fir Park and we were basically definitely safe it's one of my favourite memories watching Motherwell.

[Winning by Name]

4 hours ago, David said:

I recall the claims that this was going to be payback for our part in sending them down to the bottom rung of Scottish football. Their fans were so fucking sure they were "back" and that they'd get to send us down in the process was just icing on their shit cake.

I was hoping that we'd maybe win the tie by the odd goal in a few competitive games, but we didn't. We absolutely destroyed them. It's the kind of performances that will long be looked back on with joy, and rightfully so. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't dreamed as a kid of being part of a Motherwell team that did that to a Rangers or Celtic team.

The sheer arrogance of the media in Scotland writing us off as an afterthought, as they all eagerly looked forward to the return of the "old firm," only for us to completely fuck it up for them was amazing.

So yeah, it's far more than a couple of games to avoid relegation. Context is very much key in this situation in my opinion.

This!!!!!